Vote-recorder.



Patented June l8, I901.

A. J. BOLFING.

VOTE RECORDER.

(Appliation filed Feb. 6, 1897.)

' (No lodl.)

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

ARTHUR J. BOLFING, OF'SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

'VOTE-RECORDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0; 676,456, dated June18, 1901.

Application filed February 6,

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. BOLFING, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of, San Francisco, State of California,have invented certain Improve: ments in Vote-Recorders,'of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for printing the registered resultsfrom a votingmachine, so .that any number of authentic duplicates can beprinted from the registering devices or counters before the polls areopened, during their progress, or subsequent thereto, as may be desired,in such form as to be readily assembled in an ofticial organized list.

The objects'of the present invention are to provide a methodof'procuring official election returns without employing the processesof canvassing, tallying, transcribing, or tabuchine such as is describedin my application for Letters Patent on voting-machines, Serial No.585,025, filed March 26, 1896. Fig. 11 is a plan view of a series ofthese elements placed side by side, so the registering and printingwheels will stand inalinement and permit impressions to be taken in oneline on narrow strips of paper. Fig. III is a broken view of the rearside of a voting-machine, showing the manner of taking printedimpressions. Fig. IV is an isometric View of a voting-machine, showingthe manner of applying the paper to receive impressions. Fig. V showsthe register-strips assembled or superposed above and slightly inadvance of each other, the whole adapted and arranged so as to bequickly and conveniently added. Fig. VI is a view showing theregister-strips,

1897. SerialNo.622,266 (NomodeL) one from each precinct, superposedabove. andslightly in advance of each other, forming an oflicial list ofthe returns, with a district summary-strip containing the totals of thecolumns thus formed. Fig. VII shows district summary-strip withdistrict-totals under respective identifying; voting-numbers. Fig. VIIIis a view showing the district summary-strips, one for each district,superposed above and slightly in advance of each other, forming anoftlcial listof the returns, with grand -total summary-strip containingthe totals of the columns thus formed, from whence to decide as to theelection of candidates and the adoption or rejection of measures.

Each section 1, of which there are as many as there are ofiices,measures, or objects to be voted for, contains as many sets ofprintingcounters 5 as there are candidates for the for- I mer and twosets each for the latter. These sections are made complete inthemselves, independent of each other and interchangeable, in order thatsubsequent elections may be readily arranged for. Over these sections isplaced a ballot containing the names of the offices, candidate nameswith voting-numbers, and straight-ticket names, said ballot being spacedto correspond with the keys for operating the counters, the counters ofthe, individual-candidate sections being operated by respective-keys andalso by the keys in the straight-ticket section. Opposite the counters 5are type 7, bearing numbers corresponding to the voting-numbersot theballot or faceplate, in order to identify the totals of votes cast totheir respective candidates, &c.-e. 9., type bearing figure correspondswith the voting-number 6 opposite the name of E. Kepler, Populistcandidate for treasurer. The counters of all sections are arranged inone line in order that the impressions made therefrom may show thetotals of votes'for each candidatein oneline, in consequence of whicharrangement a new principle becomes inherent in said printed record, asis manifest by its susceptibility When'assembled with other similarregisters, of forminga column for each of the respective candidatescontaining the totals of votes cast for said candidates. A suitablecover 9 when closed forms a guard to protect the wheels and type andwhen open forms a guide for roller 16. Over the top of the counters andtype is placed an inked ribbon 11. An impression-roller 12 is wound witha continuous strip of paper 13, so the end of the latter can be fastenedin a suitable manner, so that when the roller is moved forward the paperis unwound from the roller and by weight of the latter receives animpression through said ribbon of the figures on thetop. of thecounters5, type 7, and also from type 18 and 19, which latter serve as a meansto identify the totals to the precinct and district in which the voteswere cast.

Duplicates to any-extent may be thus made atany time. These registers,one from each precinct, when assembled'form a complete printed page,showing the totals of votes cast in a district for each'of thecandidates in respective columns under identifying numbers and atv oneside of the page the names and numbers of the various precincts of thedistrictin which the votes were-cast. If desired,

in lieu of the voting-numbers a ballot the thecounters withouti-mpairingthe usefulness means for taking impressions of sardprintin-g-co'untersand-said fixed type.

of said registers.

Theprocess of officially recapitulating election returns withoutcanvassing, tallying,

transcribing, or tabulating is as follows: Upon a suitabletormorassembling-board 27, near the bottom, will be fastened a strip 28,having suitable-spaces delineated thereon to receive the summary of thecolumns. formed. The said 'spaces, and consequently the totals set downtherein, by means of the identifyingnumbers 29 will be identified. totheir-respective candidates or measures. superposed abovetproperlyspaced, and likewise fastened will: be the register 13, bearing thehighest precinct-number. The, register 13having the next lowestprecinct-nu mber will be likewise superposed, these latter registers tobe so arranged that' the totals of votes castfor the respectivecandidates, 850., will come in the same columns and that the register 13last placed will cover the voting or; identifying numbers on thepreceding summary-strip 28 or register 13, as the case, may be, thisprocessfor superposing and fastening to be carriedoutwith all theregisters, one from each precinct i n agiven district. The finalregisterthusplaced. will exhibit the voting-numbers 24, therebyidentifying the columns thus formedtothe respective candidates ormeasures,&c.,andthe-columns may be summarized and thetotals placed intherespective spaces provided therefor on summary-strip28. The

summary strips, (when properly completed,) onefrorneach district, may inturn be assembled in like manner, again forming columns talsthus-arrived at, it is obvious,- will-repre-- sentall the votes cast fortherespectivecandidates and for and against respectivemeas templatedthat a register 13-be taken at the opening of the polls and posted in aconspicuous place provided for it upon the booth, from which allelectors present may learn that the counting and printing wheels wereall set at zero-the first register taken at the close of the polls to beposted in a similar manner thereunder and the second of such registerstaken at the close of the polls to be forwarded to the officers ofelection, where it in conjunction with other similar registers 13 willbe assembled, as shown in Figs. V and V VI. The registers 13takensubsequentl-y may .be furnished totheheadquarters of the variouspolitical parties interested and to such. newspaperswherein 'it isproposed topu'bli-sh the election returns.

v I desire to secure by Letters Patentclaims I as follows: g a v 1. In avoting-machine, a face-plate or ballot with names and voting-numbers ofcani didates; printing-counters with type at, the:

same level, said type bearing figures corresponding with saidvoti-n-gnumbers; and

2. In a voting-machine, a, fixed coveringplate; a series of counting andprintin g wheels:

bearing figures thereon in relief, and project v ing through aperturesin said plate; incombination-,witha seriesof fixed type-at the, same.

level, bearing figures indicating the candi-- date, office or objectvoted for; and a face- .platebearing the,- names of the several cani 1didates, offices orobjectslto be voted for, with numbers to identifysaid candidate, office or object with the. figures on: saidfi-Xed-typese Qries, substantially asspecified.

3. In a voting-machine, a fixed perforated I .plate or platen; a seriesof fixed revoluble counting and printing wheels having figures thereonin relief, presenting in succession through apertures in said platen aregister, of the votes; a face-plate or ballot containing the names ofcandidatesywith respective voting-numbers; fixed type correspondingwithsaid voting-numbers, opposite to thesets of counting-wheels, toidentify' the votes cast or registered with the candidates or objectsvoted for, at the same level withthe printing surface of the countingand printing wheels; in combination therewith a carbon: or'inrked ribboncovering the counting and printing wheels; a chambered or suitable covertoiconceal and protect the register as thepollingof' the votes proceeds,and means for making impressions. thereof, substantially as specified.

- 4. In a voting machine, a fixed covering- 1 plate; a series ofcounting and printing wheels ,having figures thereon in relief,presentingin:v succession through apertures in said plate; a register ofthe-votes; a series of fixed type adjacent theretoandat the same levelbearing figures indicatingthe candidate, office or object to be votedfor; a face-plate bearing the names of the several candidates, ofiicesor objects to be voted for with numbers to identify the candidate,office or object with the figures on the fixed-type series; a carbon'orinked ribbon covering the counting and printing wheels and the fixedtype; an impressionroller whereby printed impressions of the registermay be obtained in any required number of copies, substantially asspecified.

5. In a vote-recorder, the combination of the series of counting andprinting wheels; the series of fixed type bearing figures indicating thecandidate, office or object to be voted for; the fixedperforatedcovering-plate through which the figures on the countingwheels project;the chambered cover to conceal and protect the register as the votingproceeds; the face-plate bearing the names of the candidates, offices orobjects to be voted for with the identifying-numbers corresponding tothe numbers on the fixed-type series; the inked ribbon covering thewheel-numbers and the fixed-type numbers; means whereby printedimpressions of said register and said type may be obtained substantiallyas specified.

6. A series of sections, placed parallel and side by side, one for eachoffice, each section containing a. series of printing-counters, one foreach candidate, all the typewheels of said counters of each section sodisposed that an impression may be obtained of all the counters in asingle line transversely; a series of fixed type bearing figuresindicating the candidate, office or object to be voted for; a faceplatebearing the names of the candidates, officers or objects to be votedfor, with respective identifying or voting nu mbers correspending to thenumbers on the fixed-type series. Y j

, 7. In a voting-machine, aface-place or ballot with names of candidatesand respective voting-numbers; in combination therewith, means forembodying in oneline, in corporeal substances, the official evidence ofelectors preference of candidates for the various offices, measures,650., voted for, from whence to decide as to the election of candidatesand the adoption or rejection of measures, 820.;

and means comprising a series of fixed type bearing numberscorresponding with the voting-numbers of the aforesaid face-plate, forofficially identifying said evidence of preference with said candidates,measures, &c., M

.substantially as described.

a fixed covering-plate common to all the wheels, and opposite thereto aseries of fixednumbers; in combination with the means as described forobtaining an impression or record in one line of all saidprinting=wheels, and-adjacent thereto, of the fixed numbers,substantially as specified.

10. In a vote recorder, candidate names with oificially-assignedvoting-numbers; in dividual-candidate counters; keys for accumulatingupon said counters the official evidence of the electors preference ofcandidates; adjacent said keys, voting-numbers, with or withoutcandidate names, to identify said keys with said candidates; fixed type,bearing numbers corresponding with said voting-numbers, adjacent saidindividual candidate counters, to identify said accumulated evidencewith said candidate names respec* tively; means to embody in corporealsub stances said evidence of preference; means to identify said evidenceof preference with said candidates respectively, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto af fixed my signature in thepresence of two Wit nesses. g

- ARTHUR J. BOLFING. Witnesses K. LooKwooD-NEv'INs, H. SANDERSON.

